Less Art... More Soul

New Blog!

2011-10-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

We've moved!
Head on over to the new blog at: www.artandsoulphoto.com/blog.

Of course you can always find us at our Gallery site: www.artandsoulphoto.com
or by calling: (303) 674-1718 or email: erin@artandsoulphoto.com

Renee & Ryan- Brookside Gardens Wedding July 9th

2010-10-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

Eventually, maybe someday, I'll get better at this blogging thing. Until that day, I wanted to share another wedding from this summer. Ryan & Renee were married at an awesome new venue up north in Berthoud, Brookside Gardens. This place is just beautiful! With a full Aveda Spa right there on the property, we started by meeting the bride there. Afterward everyone headed to get ready in their great bride and groom suites upstairs. It was so nice having everyone so close by! My good friend Tyler was shooting with me and we just popped between the girls and guys while they were getting ready just a few feet away from each other.

Then we set up the first look. Now I know this is a debate for many couples. We've been told time and time again that it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, but does anyone know where this tradition came from? It's actually back from the days of arranged marriages! Weddings were business deals, and no one wanted any member to second guess the decision based on the looks of the other person, so no one saw each other until the ceremony! I don't know about you, but I feel like we've come a long way since then. ;) This moment is always so special between a couple. Not only do we set up a private very intimate meeting for the bride and groom, but I know that when I saw D on our wedding day, all i wanted to do was hug him! It would have relieved SO much stress if I could have just held him, been excited with him, told him how excited I was for our day! And that's what this moment was about. And I tell you what... not only do I feel like it doesn't take anything away from the moment the bride walks down the aisle (that moment is so amazing and emotional, seeing the bride before that doesn't change it), but none of my brides or grooms have ever regretted the decision to see each other beforehand. In fact, many of them tell me it was their favorite part of the day. Now I always let a couple decide what is best for them. It's their day! But I have to admit, I really love the first look. ;)

Does anyone recognize this kilt or this little girl? ;) This is my good friend's husband, Ben, and their daughter Emelia (click here for a few pics from her newborn session). Crystal was the amazing graphic designer one who worked for me in Glenwood and Ben actually got this kilt for their wedding! Now who wouldn't use a wedding as a good reason to dress up and wear your kilt! haha. Renee and Ryan are good friends of theirs and I have to thank Crystal for sending them my way! :) Emelia just cracks me up.

We were worried about the weather and dark skies and even had a few raindrops, but you certainly couldn't tell by the time we started the ceremony! It couldn't have been a more perfect afternoon! See, this is why you don't stress about the weather. ;)

After the ceremony we took a few more pictures around the amazing grounds at Brookside. I thought Renee looked absolutely stunning. Although Ryan busted out the blue steel a couple of times to show me he could definitely hold up to Renee. So really?... They are just stunning together... ;)

To Renee & Ryan: Thank you, thank you, thank you, for asking me to be a part of your day. I've really enjoyed getting to know you both! I know you'll have many years of happiness together!

Liz & Dave- Engagement Photos in a Vineyard

2010-09-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

I just love when a couple is really up for anything. Liz & Dave are definitely those kind of people. Although their wedding is planned for June of next year here in Evergreen, the two of them currently live in Grand Junction. I just happened to have a wedding scheduled for the end of August over on the western slope, so we set up a time to get together the day after the wedding!

We decided to meet at one of the many amazing wineries in Palisade, Carlson Vineyard. Not only do they make one of my favorite beverage treats ever, their Cherry Wine, but Dave's last name is... wait for it... Carlson! It was just way too fitting. After a little tasting and picking our favorites, the guys at Carlson were nice enough to let us wander out in the vineyard to take some photos. Not only that, but they encouraged us to taste a few grapes right off the vine since they were just ripening. What a treat! If you ever get a chance to check them out, you definitely should! The tasting room is open 7 days a week from 10-6. Or you can just buy the wine right off their website and enjoy it at home! :)

So even though we were battling some major wind that day, I think we got some pretty fun photos! Although, I guess there was one small incident with some ants. Apparently I placed Dave in the grass right on an ant hill and after a few pictures, all the sudden Dave burst up in the air, hopping and flailing about! I was so stunned, I didn't even get any pictures of it (which is now a definite regret). Ha! Dave had experienced that creepy crawly feeling to look down and see that both his pant legs and shoes were completely swarmed with ants. Once we got them off, we had a good laugh about it. Liz was standing right there with Dave and she didn't get a single one! Go figure. I think Dave thought I was a little crazy when I asked him to sit in the grass in a different spot. Haha.

After wandering through the vineyard for a bit, we headed down the road to one of the many orchards to check that out as well! The peaches were just ripening and looked amazing! We all went into one of the factories and ended up hand picking our own box of peaches! I believe we ended up with Sun Crest specifically after tasting a couple of different varieties, but it was a 22lb box! My husband and I split the box with Dave & Liz, but we have been enjoying peaches for about a month now and have just finally reached the end of our yummy stash.

Thank you so much to Dave & Liz for having a little adventure with us! I'm really looking forward to your wedding next June and with so many of the EverWedd crew involved, it's sure to amazing!

Heather & Ken- Boettcher Mansion- July 3rd Wedding

2010-08-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

I am a complete failure at blogging, but I am determined to blog all my weddings! And honestly I have been so excited to share the images from Ken & Heather's wedding! D and I have had such a fantastic time getting to know these two and their wonderful family and I don't know if we've ever laughed with a couple as much as we did with Heather & Ken.

There day started out like most weddings. Everyone was getting all spiffed up, lookin sharp, and then it was time to start! Heather & Ken walked down the aisle together with Ken's son, Braedon & daughter, Sabrina, to meet their guests at the gazebo at Boettcher Mansion.

I love this image I caught of Sabrina. This was at the mention of "lots of love" during the ceremony and she made this "Ewww" face. haha
The ceremony was so cute and intimate with their close friends & family gathered around the inside & outside of the gazebo.
Everyone was, of course, watching Heather & Ken, but this little one just wanted to watch D as he was taking pictures. Isn't she adorable?
Ken's mom was so cute, I think she tried to always look like she wasn't crying when she saw me snapping pictures, but I'm sneaky. ;)
D took this shot of Ken & his daughter after the ceremony and I just love it. Ken's sister is in the upper right hand corner and she is just looking at the two of them so sweetly. There is just so much emotion in her expression.
We took a few minutes to ourselves after the ceremony to take a stroll around the mansion & the grounds. It was amazing that they were the only wedding at the mansion that day, so we had the whole place to ourselves! We had such a good time just walking around & enjoying a bit of quiet time with them. Heather & Ken have told me that this was their favorite part of the day. Taking a little time with just the two of them & allowing them to really take in the fact that they were now husband & wife.
Another great shot from D.
These two are just adorable. I mean absolutely, stinkin, seriously adorable. They are so in love with each other, that you can't help but get pulled into their unveiled joy.
At one point while we were in between shots, I looked up & caught Heather & Ken peeking down & admiring their new rings. I just love this series & I especially love the look in Heather's eyes in the second image as she looks at Ken. So much love there.
Doesn't Heather look amazing?! I love this shot! Oh, and so does Ken. hahah He was rendered completely speechless as it came up on the screen during their viewing party. ;)
Ken's a good looking guy himself!
Sabrina cracks me up. She is super sweet and quiet one second and the next? Well... you get the idea. hahaha.
Sabrina, again, being well... hilarious.
The kids were so excited to try the cake, that as soon as they had their first taste, the kids lined up to each get a bite right away.
We had a little rain during the reception, but the storm cleared away quickly in typical Colorado fashion. But as the sun went down, the light was amazing so I snagged the bride & groom away for just a few more pictures.It was an absolutely beautiful night so D & I went across the street to the lookout point when we were finished to enjoy the city lights & watch a few tiny fireworks shows off in the distance. Big huge congratulations to Heather & Ken! The 4 of us are going to have to get together again soon cause we have too much fun together! Thanks again for letting us be a part of your special day.

Jesse & Leslie- June 5, 2010- Orcas Island, WA

2010-06-13T20:44:00.001-07:00

Where do I even start?! Last week Darrell and I had the pleasure of photographing Jesse & Leslie's wedding on the beautiful Orcas Island in Washington. It was our first time in the area so we spent the whole week exploring WA. In the process visited friends and family in Seattle, explored the San Juan Islands where the wedding was being held and got to visit with friends there as well, went whale watching (unbelievable-more about that later), and explored Olympic National Park! We definitely crammed every day of our trip as full as we could possibly get it and even now, as I recall our trip to write this post, I keep mentioning things to D that I wish we had done, or had more time to really explore. Guess that means we'll just have to go back!! But there will be more posts about WA, you can guarantee that!

I will start where it is most logical... the middle! hahaha! Well, our trip was Wednesday to Wednesday and I know people are much more anxious to see wedding pictures, rather than my personal tromping around town, so I figured that it would be best to start with the wedding! Maybe someday I'll get a few of my personal photos edited.

We began that Saturday by meeting up with the whole gang at the wedding site. Jesse and Leslie found a great private residence that runs along a creek that hosts just a couple weddings a year. It was a beautiful site and seemed perfect for them and this intimate, laid back event the two of them had planned.

The girls had adorable dresses that were really different. They could be wrapped and changed and so the girls all looked different! It was way fun! I'm going to have to ask Leslie where she found them. Also, the girls went down to the Farmer's Market the morning of the wedding and got flowers from a local farm to put together their bouquets! All the flowers for the whole wedding cost them less than $100! I love that they were local from the island, too. Such a great idea.

I just had to post these shots cause I just adore these guys. Jesse, CJ and I all worked at Glenwood Caverns together my first summer in Glenwood Springs my freshman year of college. At that time, Jesse and CJ were in between their Junior and Senior year of high school, the caverns was a tiny little family business and I know that I never pictured us still laughing together almost 10 years later. These two have known each other WAY longer than I've known them, but I think this shot definitely fits them. CJ's wedding was one of the very first I photographed 5 years ago. Actually, Jesse was a groomsmen in CJ's wedding and that is when we all got to meet his new girlfriend, Leslie! I was completely honored and excited when Jesse contacted me about shooting his wedding. It was so wonderful to see old friends and this is the first time we have all been back together since CJ and Brianne's wedding!

Yup, they got IN the creek to take pictures with the little cascade behind them. I love these guys.

I haven't taken a jumping picture in a long time, but this is sort of a tradition for them. They have jumping pictures from everything they do... marathons, vacations... we had to do it. ;)

They set up a bit of a photo booth for guests. This was the girls playing around. Aren't they adorable?

Ok this has a story, I promise! This is the little ring bearer, Evan. (CJ & Brianne are his parents) Jesse had just been giving Evan little pieces of his cupcake and proceeded to eat the rest of it right before this shot. Well he gave Evan a kiss and I think he tasted the chocolate on Jesse! (see Jesse's cheek popped out, still filled with cupcake?) But little Evan just went on in for a bite! Jesse's face of shock and horror was CLASSIC and we all laughed SO hard. One of my favorite moments. haha

This is the tree Jesse and Leslie were married under. It was Jesse's idea to put a ladder up into the big branch and take pictures up in the tree. Again... I love these guys. :)

The evening proceeded with chilly air moving in after dark, and people changing into more comfy clothes to sit around the fire and make smores. Ever had a smore with a Resse's peanut butter cup?.... YUM.

It was a wonderful, intimate, little wedding and I feel very lucky that Darrell and I were able to be a part of it. Thank you SO much for asking us to come out! More pics of the day after session to come!

Sara & Aaron- Shove Chapel & Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

2010-04-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

Sara & Aaron had a beautiful wedding in Colorado Springs last year. The ceremony was at the amazing Shove Memorial Chapel on the Colorado College Campus. It is by far my favorite of the churches I've photographed in. After the reception we went to Garden of the Gods to take pictures and I am SO glad we did. I've lived in Colorado my entire life and have been to Garden of the Gods several times... but it just never seems to get old to me. It is such a neat spot and obviously, an incredible spot to take pictures. We had lots of fun reactions full of congrats and well wishes for the newlyweds from the tourists and other visitors at the park. Sara & Aaron even posed for pictures with a family visiting from New Zealand, I believe? It was a lot of fun. ;)

Sara & Aaron were not only amazing to work with, but they were amazing to get to know. I've kept in contact with several people in their wedding party and Sara's brother's band, Other Side of Clearview, played at the reception and they are now one of my favorites. Their CD has lived in the car ever since the wedding last summer. Definitely check them out when they play around Colorado! Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of your special day!

Kristie & Bob- Snowy Wedding in Evergreen, Colorado

2010-03-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

One of the last thing I expected to do this past weekend was photograph a wedding! Just last week I was at WPPI convention (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) in Las Vegas. It's not the first time I've mentioned the convention because I try to go every year. But when I came back, I had a message from someone here in Evergreen. Pam told me that her brother was getting married and the event had gone from a justice of the peace performing a quick ceremony to a small celebration at the very last minute and they needed a photographer! So on Friday, I booked a wedding for the following Sunday!

I am so glad that they asked me to be a part of their celebration. Kristie & Bill were married in a church here in Evergreen and then, together with close family and friends, they celebrated with a little cake and champagne at Bob's sister's home here in town. Two days before, Kristie didn't even have a dress! She bought it and had it altered the same day, and she looked amazing!! For picking it out at the last minute, she did awfully well! She looked like a million bucks!

We had a little time before the ceremony began and I learned that the stained glass here is actually left over from the building of the Airforce Academy Chapel in Colorado Springs.

I was absolutely ecstatic that they were willing to venture out in the snow with me for a couple of minutes as well and they were VERY good sports in enduring the cold temps and falling snow, but I am in love with the images.

A big huge thanks to Kristie & Bob for allowing me to be a part of their intimate day with their friends and family. And thanks to Pam, Bob's sister, for thinking of me and bringing me into your home! It was absolutely my pleasure to share a piece of your day with you.

John & Jen- Vail, CO Wedding- Sonnenalp Resort

2010-03-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

John & Jen were married this past summer at the beautiful Sonnenalp Resort in Vail. As you can see, the skies were a bit ominous, but we had the perfect hole in the weather for the ceremony. We made sure not to push out luck and hurried through some images of the two of them in the Vail Village and got back to the resort just in the nick of time. The skies completely opened up just as we ducked into the covered walkway on the edge of the parking area! But I always tell my brides, since you can't control the weather, you might as well not waste energy stressing about it (and dramatic weather makes for great images!)

John and Jen did an amazing job with all the little details! They do a lot of traveling together so their favors were these great red luggage tags that also acted as their place cards. Great white paper lanterns hung from the ceiling and the tables were covered in a fabulous deep vibrant orange, and the grounds were just covered in blooming flowers and vines. I just couldn't get enough! :)

This is one of my favorite ring setups from this year. I like both of them, so I just couldn't choose which one to post! So... here's the wide and close up versions. ;)

I had amazing time getting to know you and your families! (I love running into your mom at lunch and the bank! haha) Thank you again, for asking me and Darrell to be there with you.

Jen & Jeremy- Private Colorado Ranch Wedding

2010-02-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

Jen & Jeremy had a wonderful intimate ceremony at a private ranch just outside Glenwood Springs, Colorado along Canyon Creek. The weather held out for the ceremony and in typical Colorado style was on and off all night. Although, the timing couldn't have been better because everyone was under the tent and ready to party by the time the sky let loose. They were well prepared, with umbrella's for everyone, but most turned out to be used more as toys for the kids. (the big and little kids, both, as you can see below) :)
I also never expected to find a band at a wedding that I have completely fallen in love with!! Meniskus performed throughout the entire celebration and I could have listened to them all night. If anyone is looking for an AMAZING band to book for a wedding, I would definitely recommend them!! Click here for info on booking them for a private event. They have gigs all over the state if you want to hear them live. Actually, their tracks on their website don't begin to do them justice. They absolutely ROCK live... definitely check them out!

Jen & Jeremy, it was an absolute delight to work with you and your family. Thank you so much for having me!! I'm so excited to hear about all your adventures in the future! :)

Lisa & Tony- Denver Bontanic Gardens & Wellshire Inn Wedding

2010-02-08T00:51:00.000-08:00

Lisa & Tony had a beautiful wedding this past summer with their ceremony at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and the reception at the Wellshire Inn. It was an amazingly beautiful and sunny day in Denver and everything turned out so wonderfully.
The guys started the day out with a round of golf at the Wellshire Golf Course. I met up with them there and took a few pictures. It was quickly obvious that my presence made them super nervous! We laughed and I promised that hacked shots wouldn't be visible in pictures, so not to worry. (sorry, boys! haha)So after a couple holes, I left them to their own demise so I would no longer be the excuse for a mulligan. ;)

One of the fun surprises of the day came right away. I met the girls at the fabulous Bang Salon When I walked in to find Lisa, I realized that the make-up artist working on the girls looked oddly familiar. And then I realized... it was Monica! Monica and I went to High School together and hadn't seen each other in almost 10 years! haha! It was really great to see her and she's also amazing. She did a fabulous job with the ladies and I'd recommend Bang and Monica to any of my brides looking for a stylist.

I was lucky enough to have Dusty of Volkel Image along with me again for this wedding as my 2nd shooter. He's such a great photographer and we always have a fun time together, so of course, I was super excited to have him. While I was hanging with the girls, Dusty went over with the guys to take this fun shot below. The ceremony location was also pretty hard to move around in, so I was glad to have Dusty in such a great position for the ceremony. He took the ceremony shot below as well.

I may have been trapped up in the front for the ceremony, but it made for a good view! :)

I love when the dance floor gets going! And these guys all knew how to party! :)

To Lisa & Tony: Thank you so much for being so willing to try anything and go anywhere! You didn't even let the dark stop us from taking pictures! I think we could've played half the night with you guys if they hadn't have been asking us to get out of there! We had so much fun! haha. Thanks again for being so wonderful and fun! Dusty and I wish you many years of happiness together.

Kristin & Bill's Wedding- Mt Vernon Country Club, Colorado

2010-02-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

Kristin & Bill had a beautiful wedding at the Mt. Vernon Country Club this past summer. Kristin picked the perfect gown and she looked absolutely stunning! She also had an amazing bouquet made by her friend Kristen, which was made out of feathers and I believe paper flowers. It was so unique and pretty and I hope that I see more like this!

Their cake was definitely fun. Kristin and Bill actually met working on power transformers like these, so they decided to incorporate it into the wedding! We would have actually taken photos with some of these power lines nearby, but it was really foggy. So instead we decided to go out and take advantage of the fog before it got completely dark. Congratulations to you both! Thank you so much for letting me be part of your special day!

Jane & Scott - Eureka Lodge, Silverton, CO Wedding

2010-02-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been a complete slacker in my blogging. And that may be the understatement of the century! ha! I'm working with a fabulous designer on a new custom blog, so hopefully that will change things a bit. But until it's ready I thought I'd post some of the things I've been shooting that never got blogged! (which is a lot of things by the way- haha)

Jane & Scott were married this past summer at the beautiful Eureka Lodge just a few miles outside of Silverton, CO. It is an amazing location to shoot at, and as you can see by the images below, there is absolutely no lack in amazing scenery there. We've been to the lodge a few times now, and it never stops taking my breath away. It has got to be the ultimate "Colorado" wedding site.

Jane was a guest at Ian & Amy's wedding that I photographed at the lodge last year. Jane very sweetly approached me about photography for her own wedding right there on the dance floor. And, that night, said she had completely fallen in love with the lodge. She'd decided she was going to look into have her own wedding there the next year! Well... it all came to be!

It was an absolute pleasure sharing in this special weekend with Jane & Scott and their families. I hope you two are doing well!

Senior Rockstar Tour * IMAGES!*

2009-08-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

Well, a while back on the blog I announced an awesome project that I've gotten to be a part of, The Senior Rockstar Tour. No, I'm not talking about senior citizens! :) The Tour is all about High School Seniors and creating the ultimate senior portrait experience.

Now that we have 2 tours behind us, I can safely say that this really is the ultimate experience. I wish i could have done something like this for my senior photos!

I wanted to post some images from the first tour to give everyone an idea of what our day was like and what kind of images we produced. I'm just going through the stuff from the second tour so I'll have those up later. It's sort of hard to give you the whole picture because as just one of the 5 participating studios, I only have my images to show here. But these seniors have galleries of about 100+ amazing & different images to choose from. I just think it's great that we can all get together and provide such an awesome day for these kids and do something that no one has done before. Even better is the students who went on the tour have given us some amazing feedback! We've posted a bunch of their messages in a special gallery on the SRST website, along with some images from each of the photographers. I'll tell you what... it is an amazing feeling when a customer gives you positive feedback like this. Thanks so much to the kids for being our fabulous guinea pigs! :) Check out what they had to say!

We are taking a waiting list for a 3rd date this fall. If we get enough interested students, we will try to set up a 3rd date and go out one more time this year. If you're interested shoot us a message through the contact form on the website. If not... we will definitely be doing this again next summer, so stay tuned!

Kristi & Hugh got married in Aspen!

2009-07-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Kristi & Hugh are such an amazing and genuine couple. I knew their day was going to be a special one, but I don't think any of us could have ever predicted how the day would pan out.

For this wedding, my good friend and fellow photographer, Dusty Volkel of Volkel Image, came to Aspen with me. Actually we made a little trip out of it and also brought our spouses so we could enjoy Aspen together the next day.

We met up with both Kristi & Hugh while they were getting ready down in town in Aspen, just across from the Gondola at Aspen Square. Now Kristi hadn't spoken to Hugh at all that day, so Dusty & I had a lot of fun running back and forth and spilling the beans about what was going on in the others' room.

On our way up the gondola, we could see the weather at the top had completely closed in. It was windy, rainy/sleeting/snowing, and you couldn't tell that we were even at the top of the mountain, we were just in the clouds! Now you'd think Kristi's scarf on her head was to protect her hair? Nope. It was to make sure that non of the guests already up top got a glimpse of her. She's so funny, I adore her... hahaha.

The boys getting ready, captured by Dusty.

Well it wasn't looking like we were going to get to have the ceremony outside. The weather hadn't let up at all and Kristi told the coordinator to go ahead and set everything up indoors. As bummed as Kristi was, I was really really proud of her for not getting upset. I always tell my brides that there is no reason to stress about the weather! It's definitely the one thing that is completely out of your control! But Kristi & Hugh are from Houston and she wanted so badly for everyone to see this beautiful place that they had brought everyone to exchange their vows. I mean, not everyone gets to be married at 11,212 ft.! So naturally Kristi was bummed, and came down to share the news with her bridesmaids. She tilted her head back and looked towards the sky and actually said, "Please God, I'm with ya, you're my guy! Please give me this one break, it would mean so much"... and with a few laughs and giggles the girls gave Kristi a hug and continued to get ready.

Just a few minutes later, Melina, the wedding coordinator ran down the stairs... "Kristi! You're never going to believe this, you've got to come and see!! It's cleared... the rain has stopped and the sun is out!! "

We couldn't believe it! I have to say that was one of the neatest things I've witnessed. Just as quickly as they had set everything up outside, the amazing staff at the Aspen Mountain Club quickly took everything back outdoors so we could start the ceremony. Dusty captured the rainbow just as the rain was stopping...

So the rain may have stopped, but boy oh boy was it cold!! Being a Colorado girl, I usually keep gloves and a coat in my car, but I hadn't taken them up the gondola with me. I thought, it's June, can't be that bad right? I've lived here long enough that I definitely should have known better. I mean it had to have been no more than 30 degrees up there. It had been snowing! Dusty gave me a look when the ceremony started. One of those, what the heck did you get me into, kind of looks. Hahahaha. :) It actually wouldn't have been as bad if it weren't for the wind. You can see from the pictures that it was extremely windy. Since the staff is used to unexpected cold temperatures, they provided fleece blankets for all the guests. The next image shows a guest bringing up blankets for each of the bridesmaids as they took their spots up front. Such nice guys... :)

See, the sun was out! Doesn't it look warm? ;)

But it certainly didn't take away from a very beautiful and emotional ceremony for the bride and groom. And, well, Kristi got to share the view.

The Aspen Mountain Club was decorated so beautifully. Kristi did a wonderful job picking out all the details and making things special.

All good things, of course, must come to an end. I LOVE the sparklers on the exit. It's my favorite! This is Dusty's image. Isn't it great?! I barely made it outside to even see it because I got trapped by the crowd and burning sticks of fire were a little scary to maneuver through. haha

To Kristi & Hugh... it was an absolute pleasure to get to share this special day with you and your family. You are an amazing couple and I'm so glad you were able to find each other! I can not wait to hear about all your adventures in life as husband and wife and I fully expect to get to meet the possible additions to your family when you come out to Aspen again!! :)

Rachel & Jene's Wedding- River Valley Ranch

2009-06-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Rachel & Jene are a wonderful couple. It's always such an amazing thing to be a part of a couple's special day. I know I say that a lot, but that part never gets old for me! And being a part of their wedding, sharing in this time in their lives, just can't be understated. These two really do love each other and it showed every single time I saw them look at one another and smile. :)

There's nothing that gets me more than the father-daughter dance. *sigh* And the look on his face here just showed such amazing love for his little girl...

While I can usually hold back tears while the bride is dancing with her dad, this is what finally got me. Jerica, Rachel's daughter, (Like Erica, with a "J") and her new official dad had their first dance together as well. She was holding him so tight and Jene was just so visibly beaming and proud of his girl... I just couldn't hold back the tears. I have to admit, this was just about one of the sweetest things I've gotten to witness at a wedding.

There are of course, a MILLION more photos... well maybe not a million exactly, but there are a lot! :) If you'd like to be notified when the full gallery is ready for viewing, just shoot me an email.

To Jene & Rachel: I wish you nothing but a lifetime of happiness together. Thank you so much for asking me to be there with you.

Krisit & Hugh- Couples session in Aspen

2009-05-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

I met up with Hugh & Kristi in Aspen awhile back to talk about their upcoming wedding and go over some details at The Little Nell. It was also a chance for us to meet! The two live in Texas and are planning their destination wedding in Aspen, so I definitely wasn't going to miss the chance to meet up with them while they were in the area!

While we were talking I sort of sprung the idea on them of taking a few photos while we were together. It definitely wasn't something we planned for, but it worked out really well. They were meeting their cake person at the St. Regis, so we took a nice little 15 min walk through Aspen to the hotel! I don't think we did too bad for last minute plans and a 15 minute walk! :)

Hugh & Kristi, it was an absolute pleasure to meet the two of you and I can't wait for your wedding this June on Aspen Mtn. Can you believe it, we only have a few more weeks!

Trash the Dress- Mile High Photographers Havin' Fun!

2009-05-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the week I attended a workshop put on by a group I belong to, Mile High Photographers. I know I've mentioned MHP before and some of the other group shoots we've done, but the group is getting so big! I can hardly believe how the 12 people getting together at someone's house and having wine has turned into 60+ people at every meeting every month, and, I think, around 150 members! That's a lot of photographers! I have to admit, this is one of my favorite groups of people ever...! I have made some amazing friends from the group and I so look forward to every chance I have to get together with everyone. The Senior Rockstar Tour is one of the many projects and great things that have come from this group! When you work for yourself, it's not as if you have a co-worker to turn to with questions, or anyone to help you with decidions or ideas. Having a friend in arms who knows the business and what you're going through is an absolutely priceless asset. I blogged recently about helping one of these friends out with a wedding when he was sick, but we constantly call upon one another to be assitants and 2nd shooters... I just can't imagine my life without these friends and colleges.

See, aren't we fun? This is myself, Dusty, and Dawn and our buddy Ross is taking the picture. I just wish Ross was in it!

Because of our new size, I think the days of our informal meetings and improptu get togethers are, sadly, a thing of the past. Meetings require a RSVP to make sure the meeting space is large enough, and now group shoots are not just an open invite, but a paid slot to only the first to sign up to keep the group manageable and to hopefully have enough models. It's just crazy!
This last week, 3 of our own members, RJ Kern, Jared Wilson, and James Christianson, were nice enough to lead the masses and share some of their knowledge with the rest of us. We also had 4 fabulous models who were oh so patient all day while 6 or more people attempted to direct them at once. "Look this way, bend your arm, no place your hand on your hip, smile, laugh, wait- be serious, close your eyes...." hahahaha. Poor girls... they did wonderfully!!

These guys are all pointed at one girl. How many cameras do you count? :)

For those of you wondering, "Trash the Dress" doesn't have anything to do with ruining a gown. It has much more to do with freedom and letting go of tradition. It's the idea that it's ok to run in field in your dress, lay in the grass, get on a horse.... climb around in a ghost town...! Wait, that's exactly what we did! Russel Gulch Disc Golf Course is such an intertsting and unique place. Located above Idaho Springs at 9,000 ft., it is unlike many places you'd consider for wedding photos. So this is exactally why we picked it!

These are just a few images that I've messed with so far. The funny thing about these get togethers and shoots is that it's not really about the images... at least not to me. Some group shoots I've been on I've never even edited a single image! So I briefly glanced through these, pulled a few into photoshop to play with them, but the truth of the matter is that I may never really even look at these again. There may be MUCH better images in the mix, but day to day life and business priorities will take over and these just don't serve much of a purpose. Now wait, I lied a little. I will be going through to pull out and edit at least 5 images of each of the girls to give them for their time and patience. I did forget about that. But for now, this is it! These are the only images that have seen the light of day so far.

Oh, and I don't believe that I could ever duplicate this green flare again. That's why I opened it! Not only have I only seen a circular flair just a couple times in the millions of images I and my friends have taken, but I don't know if I've ever seen one a bright color. SO here ya go, a bright green circular sun flare! haha

On a regular basis, I try to keep images pretty classic. I feel like, as photographers, it's our job to give our customers something that will stand the test of time. We've all seen styles and trends come and go and I don't want someone to look back at their wedding photos in 15 years and say, "wow, what was I thinking?!" So, while I like some of the rustic and old school feelings that are very trendy right now, I don't usually do this "old time" look very often, but it just seemed so fitting for the location, don't you think? And these are for fun, so...!

Senior Rockstar Tour * LIVE! *

2009-05-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you wondering what I've been so busy with... THIS IS IT! :)

This project is the first of it's kind (at least we think it is..!) and is a collaboration between 5 different photography studios: Elegant Images, Dawn Gioia Photography, Volkel Image, Allison Ragsdale Photography and of course... me- Art & Soul Photography.

We've been holding this whole project under a tight lid, wanting to keep it a surprise until it's launch date, so it feels great to talk about it! I'll let you go to the website for the whole scoop but here's the idea....

20 kids total will be split up into 5 groups of 4. Each photographer will work with a different group at each stop along the tour. So for example, group 1 will be with me while we're at Red Rocks, with Dawn at Phipps Mansion, with Ross in downtown Denver, etc. All the while we'll be riding around in this 34 person party limo bus from Sunset Limo. Along the way we'll pick up pizza, grab Starbucks, hand out prizes, play music, and just have a great time!

The whole idea of this is the experience. I don't know about everyone else, but my senior photos were nothing special, but still something I remember. Well can you imagine how much fun we're going to have? And on top of that, the seniors will get to work with 5 amazing photographer and have such a fun and varied collection of photos with a huge range of locations and backdrops.

This is definitely not your typical senior photography experience....

Now if you know a Class of 2010 grad, send them here right away! With such limited availability, these spots will go fast, so don't wait!

Check out the site and comment here to let me know what you think!

www.seniorrockstar.com

Sweet Little Baby Kelsen... 5 Days old

2009-05-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, April 25th, an adorable little bundle of a person was born. 7 lbs. 7oz. and 20.5 inches of little person to be exact! And just 5 days later, I got to meet little Kelsen Michael and all his cuteness!

I have to say... what an angel! Kelsen did amazing during his session. He stayed asleep for most of the time, perfectly content to let us mold and shape him and place him in all these places to take pictures around the house. When he did wake up, he opened his little eyes for me and we got to take some awake images as well.

Kelsen's big sister, Gabby, is 2 and she's still not real sure what to think about this new baby brother thing. We spent some time trying to convince her to give her baby brother a kiss, or touch his head and feel his soft hair... nope- nice try! Ha! We did however convince her to get in the crib with him and turn on his mobile for him, and for just a slight second on her way out... she found his toes and made sure to point them out to mommy. ;) Too cute...

Honestly, I don't remember the last time a newborn session went so well. It's sort of the nature of this type of session to have absolutely no expectations as to what's going to happen! As a photographer, I've learned, I can't plan to take certain types of shots, and I certainly have learned patience! Sometimes the brand new babes cry throughout the entire visit, other times all they want to do is stretch and contort their bodies in the oddest shapes now that they're free of the confines of mom's womb. But I've learned to take time, enjoy the baby and the visit with mom and just take pictures of whatever may come during our time together. (This is also why I usually allow 3 or 4 hours minimum in my schedule so that I have no where else to be! That way, we can take whatever time we need!)
Now Kelsen had a few tricks up his sleeve, don't get me wrong! haha... Araceli, Kelsen's mom, had these adorable cloth diapers for us to use. (I think I need to buy a few for the studio, they were awesome!) Because he's still so little, we decided not to use the liner in them because they just seemed so bulky on his tiny person. Well of course, we managed to have a terribly messy pooping incident in his crib. We got to change out the crib sheets, put him in a new diaper, etc. and what do you know... while I was holding him for mom while she got the bed straightened up, he filled another one! Should've known..... hahaha....! So we were down to the last one of his cute cloth diapers as we finished up the pictures, just hoping he'd make it through. We were just glad it didn't happen while he was naked! (that happens often, too... we just got lucky...!)

And this next image is the very last shot I took that day. I was saying goodbye, collecting my things, and he just looked so cute! I couldn't resist! I had to take just ONE more... :) And Araceli was right, it's one of my favorites of the shoot... :)

Jessica & Bernie are married! Beautiful Cancun, Mexico

2009-04-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

The whole week has been a complete whirlwind since we returned from Cancun! I'm still trying to catch up on emails, phone calls, orders, laundry... :)

The wedding was fantastic. We arrived on Wednesday to the Dreams Resort in Cancun, Mexico after a long day of traveling. D and I dropped of our stuff at our room and almost instantly ran into Cathy & George (mom and dad of the bride) and the wedding party! It was great to see them! Some of you might remember Jessica & Bernie from the past post of their engagement session at Gunther Toodys. We spent a little time checking out the resort and went to eat dinner. After a margarita, some amazing food in our stomachs, and all that traveling since 3 am, we were pretty tired. Since it was only 7:30 or so, we decided we'd go up to our room and rest for a little while. Well, when we woke up at 11 o'clock that night, we figured we were a little more tired than we thought!! We just crashed and went to bed! What party people! :)

Thursday we spent some time out on the beach, scoped out the rest of the resort and where the wedding would be taking place the next day, and then it was off the the rehearsal! At dinner we got to know more of the family and friends and had a wonderful time. And then of course, Friday... Wedding Day!

I'm finally starting to get a chance to go through some of the images from the wedding day! This will probably end up involving a few posts so I can talk more about our trip, but these are just a few of the many, many images from the wedding. I've only grabbed a few random ones so far, but this will hopefully give you a taste!

Here's the bride getting ready before the ceremony.

The beautiful ceremony location at Dreams Cancun. Do you see all the birds riding the wind above them?! It was crazy how many there were!

I managed to not cry all day until George started dancing with his daughter. I've actually known this family since Elementary School, and we grew up not even a block from each other, but seeing this firefighter with his youngest daughter?... It just completely did me in.

This is Angelina and Stefanie, Jessica's two older sisters. Don't they all look so much alike?

Angelina and I are the same age. We met her first day at a new school in 3rd Grade! :) I knew Jessica for a long time as the little sister that we used to not let play with us (since that's what older sisters do, right?) and their mom, Cathy, as the one that always let me sit in her warm car to wait for the bus (since I walked to the bus stop.) I lost touch with the girls once Ang and I graduated High School. Then about 3.5 years ago we ran into each other at a wedding of other old friends from High School that I was photographing (one of my very first weddings... just days before I bought the studio) Through the power of myspace and facebook we have reconnected and tried to stay in touch. I was really excited when I started to talk to Jessica about her wedding and I'm so glad they asked D and I to be a part of it with them.

To Jessica & Bernie: I wish you many many years of happiness and love. Take care of each other... ;)

An unexpected first wedding...

2009-04-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well I thought that my first wedding of the year was going to be coming up next Friday in Cancun, but a few weeks ago I got that call... the call of panic and need from a fellow photographer. It's bound to happen to everyone, Murphy's law pretty much guarantees it. And honestly, as a photographer, it's the king of thing you actually have nightmares about during wedding season. You are a wedding photographer, the only person in charge of capturing the day's once in a lifetime memories for all of prosperity... and you wake up sick. And I'm not just talking about a little cough or feeling slightly under the weather. We're talking about flat out, can't stand up, throwing up, shaking, fever, I want my mommy kind of sickness. Not something that you could "suck up & deal" with or anything like that. The stuff we fear is anything that will absolutely prevent you from being any sort of functioning human being, let alone to perform any kind of quality service. SO this is where that phone call comes in. My good friend Dusty, of Volkel Image, finally had it happen to him. Now while I had experienced a similar situation a couple years back, he and his wife Michelle had never had anything come about that would prevent them from doing their job like this. And when I answered the phone, poor Michelle sounded like she was just about ready to cry. (either that or she was going to have a panic attack) ;)

Luckily, I completely understand the scenario and the kind of worry that goes along with it. I mean, really, you feel devastated! But, there is nothing you can do! Life happens, and luckily we met each other in a group meant to help with just this sort of problem! We both belong to Mile High Photographers, a group of photographers from all over Colorado. We meet monthly and talk business and share stories and ideas and I've formed some absolutely amazing friendships through this group. It's also such an essential part to my business! It's not as though we have co-workers to turn to for assistance, so when something like this comes up, it's so important that I have trusted, extremely skilled photographer friends that I can trust. And really, there are so many people in that group that I would trust with even my own wedding! Luckily on this day, I got to help out someone else! Dusty was extremely sick, so since I had the day free, I was more than happy to help!!

I'm so glad that it worked out so well! Mark & Marci were absolutely fabulous. Not only are they a wonderful couple, but they were entirely understanding of the situation. Michelle came along to keep things straight and to 2nd shoot. The day turned out great! I've told Dusty that anytime he wants to get sick and pass on fabulous clients like Marci & Mark, he's more than welcome to!! :)

Since I passed the images along to Dusty & Michelle right away and these guys are their clients, I swiped these images off their blog. So these are of course all images I took, and they have been beautifully processed by Michelle. :) Hey, at least someone was blogging what I was shooting!

The wedding was held on the gorgeous campus of the University of Denver, with the ceremony at the Evans Chapel and the reception in the Tuscany Ballroom. It was the perfect setting for a perfect celebration. To Marci & Mark- Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day (even though it's not exactly what you had anticipated!) I wish you many, many years of laughter and happiness in your lives together. Congrats!

Introducing Daniel Edward Wray V, my nephew :)

2009-04-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

So I never really introduced my new nephew! :) He was born in late August, and no matter how hard I tried to be there when he was born, this kid was determined to come at his own time. (aren't they all?! Geeze, don't they know we have jobs and schedules and stuff? Sheesh... ;) )
This is from the day we first met- his first of MANY portrait sessions to come...
In November, my brother's little family came up to my studio in Evergreen to check it out. With all the crazy baby business, they hadn't had a chance to make the drive to come and see the new set-up. I didn't have my shooting area complete, but we set up a couple lights and shot a few images in the area that I now use for natural light shooting space. This is my brother Dan (Dan IV- of course), his wife Laura, her son Craig (who's now 15), and their new addition, little Danny (3 months in these shots).
I have to admit, that seeing my big brother as a new daddy is super cute.
Then of course we have some Christmas photos! This little guy has been the source of some serious family entertainment. I mean, how could you not giggle at this face in a santa hat?!

Obviously I didn't take this one, my dad did, but I figured that I should include at least one of me in there.
Over the holidays, Danny got to also meet his great grandma from Ohio! It was soo nice to have her out for the holidays. Both my parents are from Ohio, and most of my family is there. I just hope that my kids will get to meet her someday, too. Now if I can just get some of my cousins and aunts and uncles to come out and visit, too, we'll be all set! (hint, hint... Katherine! ;) Sarah, Alexa, Megan!)
Then, about a month ago D and I went over to my brother's house for dinner. Of course, Aunt Erin just couldn't resist bringing the camera! :) Danny was just so smiley and happy, and we just had a grand ol' time! Oh, and this kiddo also had just discovered his tongue for this visit! We were all just sitting around watching him, and laughing hysterically pretty much the entire night. Check out these faces?! He's just full of 'em. There's about a million more, but I'll spare you. ;)
And then last, but not least we have this past weekend when we got together for Easter!
My cousin, John and his wife, Lorelei, and their 18mo old daughter, Elaine were also there. Elaine had brought with her a pair of adorable bunny ears. I tell you what... there's not much in this world more adorable than little kids in bunny ears!
Well that's all I've got for now. Since we're all updated on the nephew, from now on I can just add a couple images at a time. ;) Happy Easter!

I've got a little catching up to do...

2009-04-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I haven't updated my blog since December! I've wanted desperately to change the look of the blog, include larger images, and have a much more modern feel. Well after several hours on the phone with a friend last night, I've got it figured out! So over the course of the next couple of days I will be adding posts and photos and trying to catch up just slightly to the info I have not been reporting. Hopefully this is the start of regular blogging, and although I do realize this has been a problem in the past, I promise to give it my best effort. ;)

Studio Open House!

2008-12-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

Well finally, we are seeing the end to our remodel of our new commercial space and we're ready to show it off!

We're having an Open House on Sunday, December 14th from 3:00-8:00.

Anyone is more than welcome to stop by and check out the new space! Come for just a few minutes and say hello, or stay all day and enjoy appetizers and drinks on us while we welcome the holidays and the new year to come.

Here is the link for the evite. It's open but we'd love to get an idea of how much food to get, so let us know if you think you'll be able to stop by.

Can't wait to see you here!

Senior Photos- Reid

2008-11-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

Guys are usually so easy. (to photograph, that is!) Senior guys especially. I'd say 90% of the time mom has picked out a shirt, and that's about the extent of planning that they've done for their senior pictures. :)
We showed up to Reid's house for our appointment and when he answered the door, his response was, "Oh yeah, senior pictures... I forgot." Now if this had been a girl's appointment, we would have entered crisis mode. Hair would have to be done, makeup, outfits, the works. BUT, this was a guy. He ran up to his room, grabbed a couple shirts and we were off. Crisis averted. :)
I photographed Reid's older brother, Conner, a couple years ago. Both of the boys chose to have their pictures taken at their house on their family property, which was totally fine with me!

They live on a beautiful piece of land and I can't imagine having it as your back yard growing up. As you look around, there are many paintball marks and evidence of the boys that live there-which I love. I can just imagine the guys running around shooting at each other... which I hear is a frequent occurrence.

One of my favorite locations ended up being an old barn on the property. The light was pouring in all the cracks and it just seemed kinda magical. When I showed Reid what these looked like on the back of the camera, he had no idea they would look so cool!

Thanks for being so easy, Reid. And thank you to your family for opening up your home to us again. Good luck with the rest of the year!

Lisa & Jeff were married!- Redstone Inn

2008-11-06T15:30:00.001-08:00

Lisa & Jeff had a beautiful Colorado day for their wedding at the Redstone Inn this year. For anyone wavering about using a horse drawn carriage, my suggestion is YES! :) It is always such a nice quiet and private time for the bride and groom.AND it provides easy transportation to cool spots to take photos! ;)These are the rings on Aspen leaves from the flower girl's basket. (and yes, the rings really fit together like this and stood on their own!) This may be one of my favorite rings shots so far. Jeff & Lisa had really neat centerpieces. They had tree stumps and each one was carved with things like their initials or Jeff loves Lisa, love 4ever, and others... it was so cute!One of the highlights of the night was when Lisa's mom got up with the band and yodeled! It was so awesome!! It never amazes me all the talent and fun that tends to come out at a wedding. She showed a side of herself that many people hadn't seen before- I love it!If you have been to a wedding recently you have heard the familiar clanging on the glasses to get the bride and groom to kiss. Well this crowd apparently loved having this control and every time the groom walked away to talk to friends or the band, he would be called back relentlessly to kiss his bride. The next time it began to "ring" I was standing with Jeff and told him that if he gave them a good one, maybe they wouldn't do it so often. And this was the result. After some excitement and cheering, this one definitely held everyone over. :)
Congratulations, guys! It was an absolute pleasure sharing your day with you!

Senior Pictures of Sara

2008-10-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

So this session has turned out to be one of my favorites so far this year. Sara was amazing! Last year I went out to her home and out on their property to take seniors photos for one of Sara's friends, Karen. We had a great time, but it was winter. Going back to the house to shoot Sara this year was a completely different expierence. Without a couple feet of snow on the ground, it hardly even resembled the same place in some regards.

Sara was so great. Not only is she seriously model material, but she was up for anything! Which is frankly a photographers dream client. When I asked about the culvert, she was almost excited as I was about it! (ok, that's probably a lie, I was REALLY excited) But it was deinfitely chilly out and she was more than willing to brave the freezing cold creek water and chilly morning air to climb down in the culvert with me. And this ended up being one my favorite places I've ever shot. (minus the millions of spiders, but we tried to ignore that part- I've blocked it from my memory, or at least tried, to prevent many nightmares- haha!) I think I'm going to have to find a culvert in Evergreen now! Dang it.

Congrats Sara! You're almost officially done with High School! Thanks for being such an amazing trooper and check out my main website. I've already added one of your shots to my senior gallery! I just couldn't help it! :)

A Wedding in Rifle- Jessica & Kirk

2008-10-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

Jessica & Kirk were married at deerfield Park in Rifle this summer. Krik's daughter was a complete ham all day. I love me a cute little ham!

Not even a little Colorado weather could dampen the hopes of these 2 on their wedding day. Jessica was a great sport and just kinda went with the flow of the day and waited out the rain to start the ceremony. (boy oh boy do I love someone who can just roll with it instead of fretting about it! *note to all you future brides out there: You can't change the weather so there is no reason to stress about the things you can not change.) ;)

Kirk is actually a Rifle police officer. So needless to say, there were a few instances when cuffs were used! Luckily there were also plenty of people present who possesed keys. :) This particular instance was right before they were announced into the reception hall as man & wife- now litterally stuck with eachother.

See what I mean about being a ham! :)

A huge congratulations to the both of you!

Mark & Nicole got married!

2008-10-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I get to work with some of the most amazing people. Mark & Nicole are definitely an example of that. These guys have an intoxicating energy that is just wonderful. We had a great time during their couples session, and I knew their wedding day would be a blast. Emotions were running high, and these two are not short on people who love and care for them.

The wedding was held at Hell Roaring Ranch just outside of Redstone, CO. This private ranch was just incredible. The views right up Avalanche Creek and the back side of Mt. Sopris are hard to beat. But the adorable old ranch house and well manicured grounds were an absolute heyday for a photographer!

I thought this ring shot was pretty appropriate, considering the location that day.
See what I'm talking about? The backside of Mt. Sopris can be seen there on the left. This is the gem of the Crystal River Valley at 12,954 ft. (see what kind of random knowledge I carry around because I was a tour guide?!)
This little guy managed to snag a cupcake right off the table without any of us seeing him! By the time we realized it, he was face deep in his treat.

Mark is such a sweet guy. Don't worry, Mark. I left out he image of you crying... ;)
Marks parents are equally as adorable as Mark & Nicole. Still celebrating after many years of marriage, these two were like kids on the dance floor. I can only hope that D and I will be like that in 40 years.
This is one of the many reasons why I love Nicole. We took over the trampoline and eventually got Mark to join her!

A huge congrats to the two of you. Here's to many many happy years together as you continue on your adventures. Every time I see paragliders, I wonder if it's the two of you. And I definitely look a little harder at all the motorcycles as they zip by. I hope to see you again soon, and until then... keep each other smiling. ;) It was an honor to be a part of your special day.

Better late than never.... right?! no? darn...

2008-10-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

So I am a complete slacker when it comes to my blog. It's not that I don't want to post, it's that when things get crazy, the blog goes down to the VERY bottom of my very large to do list. Now I'm sure many of you can appreciate the fact that I'm working on your wedding photos instead of spending my time talking about them, but I also understand the desire to keep up with new material, see previews of current weddings and see that, yes, I am still alive out here.

SO many things have happened in the past couple months (hence, the no blog posts!) That I'm going to have a pretty much IMPOSSIBLE task of catching up. What I'm attempting to do is prepare a TON of images for the blog and spend some time writing several posts. Every day I can just go in and publish something that is already prepared and ready to go and then maybe... just MAYBE, I'll be better at this blog thing. Only time will tell I guess. HA!

The biggest news I have yet to release is our move to Evergreen!!! (Now never mind the fact that we have been back in Glenwood every single weekend since we left on Labor Day.) But this weekend will mark the first weekend we will get to spend here- don't worry, we'll be back to GW on the 17th!- and we are planning on enjoying it to the fullest! We have friends coming in from out of state, I'm helping out a fellow photographer with a wedding in Denver, and hopefully I will get to catch up on some editing that will not have to be done on the laptop in the car as we drive back and forth. It's the little things, right? :)

Very soon I will be sharing images of our new space we've been working on here in Evergreen and our hope is also to have stories of a new house (but we're not there just yet on that one) Darrell is still looking for a job in the area, even though the studio has been keeping us both very busy. There's definitely enough work to be done here for about 6 of us. I can't wait to get it all completed and show it off. Stay tuned for details of an open house and party that I hope to see everyone I've ever known at. ;)

Last but not least, I'd like to say Thank You to everyone for all your patience. We didn't exactly plan on moving out of our home and studio in a week like we did. (yup, that's right... we got an offer contingent on us moving out in a week. It was complete madness) So needless to say, this got crazy without much warning. But don't worry, the boxes are remaining packed until we get caught up on our work, and nothing is more important to us than our job.

Ok... off to fun posts with pictures! :)

Ashleigh & Shaun are married! Silverthone Pavilion Wedding

2008-08-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Ashleigh & Shaun had a fabulous wedding. It was definitely a very emotional and special time for the bride and groom and their friends and family. So many times I had to hold back tears myself! (oh... I have to do this fairly often- you may see me sniffle a little at every wedding, but this one got me going!) Ashleigh and her girls were getting ready just down the hall from the boys and it was fun to have everyone so close and so excited together. The moms were going between the rooms and in their full gallery you can see images with both the bride and groom on the phone. Yup, talking to each other. :) They were so close I got one end of the call with Ashleigh and got to Shaun's room for the other part. :) haha.
It was a beautiful Colorado Day and Ashleigh looked stunning. Actually the boys didn't look so bad themselves! I love the white on all the guys. Bright and fun to shoot- and well, they were a fun group of guys to begin with. :)The ceremony and reception were held at the Silverthorne Pavilion. It's a very nice facility and I'd love to shoot there again sometime. Ashleigh & Shaun prepared a slideshow full of music and baby pictures to tell their story and to share it with their guests. I always love seeing these because it gives me a chance to learn so much more about the couple and their lives outside of this one day. What Shaun didn't know is that Ashleigh had put together a special slideshow to be played right after the first. The whole piece was to her groom- expressing to him how much he means to her, and how excited she was that they would share their lives together. It was a really amazing piece and there wasn't a dry eye in the place.
Thank you both so much for allowing Darrell and I to be a part of your day. I really enjoyed meeting your friends and family! You are surrounded by many people who love you. We wish you many many years of laughter and love on your journey together. Congratulations. :)

i LOVE this!

2008-08-01T13:14:00.001-07:00

So during the small ammount of time Darrell and I are actually home, we watch a TON of discovery channel. We don't really watch enough tv to keep track of any series shows (well, except Project Runway, but that is my own personal obsession) so all the stuff on DC allows us to watch any time at any part of any show, which is great! Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, Deadliest Catch, Shark Week... all of it, really.

Well they have been making awesome commercials lately. And you can ask my dad, but I usually mute commercials the instant they come on. But this one....! It makes my heart dance everytime! I will actually un-mute the tv and turn it up!! So I just wanted to share. :)

Help us win!- Photos entered in a contest

2008-07-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hurry voting ends tonight! :)

So my best friend is very into the pinup and 40's style. She lives for it actually and even wears clothing from that era on a daily basis. Some of you may remember her from the Leavin' Las Vegas shoot. (she modeled for a few people- as sick as she was!) ha!Anyway! She recently asked me to take some photos for her for a calendar contest. Late one night, we fired off a few simple shots at the studio- she threw in a couple I took in vegas also- and she entered. We didn't really know what would come of it, but she is doing GREAT!

Now that the contest is about to close, we looked at her numbers and realized it is not only looking like she'll win her month, but she's in second place for winning the cover image as well! We'll get to do another shoot that will be more fun and more involved for the actual final image if she wins, but it's kinda exciting! It's even looking like the calendar will be sold in Barnes and Noble!

SO! Here's the link to the contest! You have to register for your votes to count, but they don't send spam or anything (I've been registered for several months now and haven't gotten anything)

I know we will both appreciate the votes! And check out her blog site as well!

Ian & Amy's Wedding in Silverton, CO

2008-07-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

At this point, I've been to quite a few weddings. I'm a huge sap, I love weddings and families and all the amazing energy and excitements that surrounds a couple on their big day. But... this one was very special for me.

Amy and I met while we were working together at the Glenwood Caverns. This was before the tram was built, before they had 100's of employees. This was back when this little business held it's staff meetings in the owners basement with their 2 boys and pizza and babysitting duty was often on our standard schedule! :) Ahh, those were the days. But Amy and I enjoyed our time together at the caverns and were excited to watch it grow.

Then enter Ian. I was a volunteer for our college orientation day at CMC and basically met him just moments after he set foot on campus. We became incredibly quick friends and soon after were just like brother and sister. I can't even tell you the number of times he fell asleep in my room watching movies or studying and once we decided it was time to get out of the dorms, it was an easy decision to be roomies!

Time came for the caverns to rally the town to show their support for the new tramway. Each employee was told to bring every warm body we could and come to the City Council meeting where the final vote would be made on whether or not the tram would be approved. I was planning to stand up and speak at the meeting and there was no way I was going alone! I drug Ian out of the house to go with me and I'm sure he was terribly excited to be spending his evening at, of all things, a City Council meeting! But when we went inside, we sat down next to Amy and well.... the rest is history! (Wait, I've actually told this story before! Oh well. :) )

These two mean the world to me and when Amy called and told me the news that Ian finally proposed (which I knew was coming) there was definitely some squealing involved. I was so excited to be asked to shoot their wedding and honestly, I've never been closer to my subjects!

The editing process for their weekend of events has been one of the hardest I've ever had to do. They have WAY too many pictures because I know them and their family and the whole thing was just so personal and fun. Not to mention the fact that they had a spectacular wedding at the Eureka Lodge, which is owned by Amy's parents. I know I've mentioned the lodge before when we went there for New Year's Eve this year, but this was our first trip there in the summer. Just incredible. With snow still gracing the tops of the mountains (and even next to the lodge in some places) this was the quintessential Colorado wedding. These are just a few of my favorite images, with too many to choose from.

To Ian & Amy: D and I are just so excited for you. We wish you many many years of happiness and love and I can't wait for our hypothetical children to grow up together. :)

Emelia Rose Sutherland is born

2008-07-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

Well I'm a little behind with this news, but.... on June 12th, at 5:56pm, Emelia Rose came into the world. Crystal (my assistant) had her sweet baby girl just when we thought she would- right as I rolled out of town for a wedding in southern Colorado. HA! Darrell and I were loading up the car and locking up the doors at literally the same moment she was born. Crystal and I joked for months that we knew that was going to happen! Right as we hit Grand Junction to head south, I received the text message from Crystal and I knew before opening up my phone that it had to be the news. So unfortunately I had to wait several days until we got back to meet her, but such is life.It is so amazing. Really. I mean, I myself have yet to experience it first hand, but just the day before, Crystal was at the office, working away! She was 5 cm. dialated and not interested in staying home and constantly thinking about when the baby would come, and decided to come in to help her keep her mind off the waiting game. Emelia had a fit of hiccups that day and we laughed as we placed our hands on her belly and felt her helplessly hop around with hiccups in the womb. Now here I was, just a couple days later, visiting Crystal and Ben at home.... and Emelia again, got the hiccups. I think that is when it really hit me that just literally moments ago, she was a part of Crystal and all the sudden she is here, her very own little person. Just amazing....Now of course I miss the heck out of Crystal. Not just because it's wedding season and we are crazy busy, but mostly the chatter at the office and the company of a good friend. Holy cow, Crystal is a mama.... :) Now we will be the very last of our friends to have a baby- we get harassed all the time- you know who you all are!!- so this concept of our friends becoming parents and expanding families is not new news. But at the same time, the whole process never ceases to amaze me, and having Crystal here 3 days a week all the way through her pregnancy just made it very real and much closer to home.

At 5lbs., 9 oz. she was not a very big package, but an incredible one all the same. She is growing quickly and I'm sure that growth will be well documented around here! ;) Now if I can only get through wedding season without her mom...! :) I love you, Crystal.... congratulations!

Sharon & Lucas- 2nd shooting is fun!

2008-07-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to shoot alongside a fabulous Colorado photographer, Paige Elizabeth. Because of the way I got started in the business, I litteraly leaped into it all pretty much head first and never once did I get the chance to work under another photographer. I believe we all have many opportunities in our life and work to grow, and I saw working with Paige as one of those chances. She was nice enough to let me come along to this wonderful wedding and give me a chance to, for once, not be in the lead. And Sharon & Lucas have to be some of the cutest people I have ever met, and were also graceful enough to let me share in their amazing and special little event.

I can not even begin to tell you what a neat event this was. Held at Devil's Thumb Ranch, the two were married out on the lawn with the view of the continental divide all around them. The ceremony was actually held in the round, meaning eveyone faced one another in what seemed to be an all together intimate and personal expierience. People all around the group, shared, played music and read from all sorts of different pieces and it struck me as one of the most personalized and unique cermonies I have ever witnessed. If I was getting married all over again, I think I'd want to do it this way. :)

These are a few of my favorite shots but PLEASE head over to Paige's blog to see more images of the day and check out her amazing work. Thank you, thank you, thank you!- to Paige for letting me come along (she's crazy fun and I love her!:) ) and a big Thank You to Sharon & Lucas and their family for being so fun and wonderful as well.

Jessica & Bernie- Engagement Photos

2008-07-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

I got together with Jessica & Bernie in Denver to shoot their engagement session! They have always loved the style of the 40's and 50's so we had fun and played a little dress up! Jessica decided to go to Gunther Toody's- a themed diner in Denver- and we just had a blast. We ate lunch, they shared a milkshake and all of the other customers thought we were doing a shoot for their advertising or some magazine- so it was a lot of fun. The waiter even let us buy a cigarette for over Bernie's ear and the staff was all really wonderful in letting us shoot all over the place.Afterward we headed over to Clement Park and took a few more images there. It's goes without saying, but the skies were just amazing. I don't get a skyline like this in Glenwood because we are in the valley, so I just LOVED that I could place them up against the clouds like this. We weren't there long before the skies opened up.When it had just started to rain, I said, "Maybe we should head back towards the car..." Boy, it's a good thing we did! Just as we reached the car, it began to downpour. My car was back at Gunther Toody's and we ended up sitting in the car for about 15 mins waiting for the intense hail to stop! We thought it was going to break windows and cause dents, but we were lucky that nothing was damaged. I've never been in a car with hail like that, it was unbelievable!
And then, in true Colorado fashion, it was over just as fast as it had started. We might have taken more pictures if the temperature hadn't dropped 20 degrees and the ground was piled up with hail. Just crazy. But thank goodness for the storm, or we wouldn't have been able to get these shots! You may recognize Jessica from the shoot I did in Denver with all the other photographers awhile back, Jessica came out and modeled for us. These two make my job easy! ;) They are getting married at the beautiful Dreams Resort in Cancun in April! I am so happy for the two of you! Congratulations!

Today is Our 5th Anniversary... :)

2008-06-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

It's kind of hard to believe that we've been married for 5 years now. Some days it seems like time has just flown, and yet at the same time, soo much has happened that it could have been ages ago. :)
I can't imagine my life without Darrell. We joke a lot and have a really laid back relationship, but sometimes, late at night as he's falling asleep... I realize just how amazingly lucky we are to have each other. We don't fight, we understand one another without even speaking, and honestly, who the heck else would put up with either of us? haha...!
To my Husband: I hope you know that I truly appreciate every single thing you do. Even the day to day things that seem to go unrecognized. I can't wait to meet our children some day and I can not wait to see you become a father. Thank you, honey for having me and all my quirks. I love you.

At the Alamo in Texas for Imaging USA '07Glacier National Park- 2005

These goofy shots (including the black & white series above) were from my Self Portrait assignment in college. I have this shot up in our room at home cause it makes me laugh every morning! This is how we really are... complete weirdos ;) I don't have any of our professional wedding pictures on this computer, but this snapshot is one my friend took that I found on a cd here at the office. I also found the compilation of a few scanned prints- yup back in the long ago film days. :) The group shot and ceremony b&w were taken by Jeff Poucher. I just thought it would be fun to share a few from OUR wedding. Oh yeah- and a note to my customers- just email me and I'll send you web size images anytime! I promise!

Another Weekend Wedding In Redstone, CO- Mike & Kristi

2008-06-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

I was so excited for Mike & Kristi's wedding! I've known these guys for a few years now, but we've never really spent any time together other than Kristi & I chatting in the bleachers. You see, Mike and my husband Darrell have played in the same basketball league for about, well, since D moved here almost 9 years ago. They have always been on opposing teams and I can't even remember anymore how many times they have played each other for the championship. (oh and Mike's team ALWAYS wins the championship.... always ;) ) So the girls always sit in the stands, encourage quietly, and dread those long, silent car rides home if one of our boys looses a game. Other than running into Mike at chamber events or the grocery store- we are basketball friends. :)
I was really excited when Mike & Kristi approached me about shooting their wedding. Not only are they adorable, but as I got to spend more time with them- they are just so great together and just a ton of fun. You may remember their engagement session post from back in March. After that, I knew they'd be up for anything!
Anyway, their wedding at the Redstone Inn turned out wonderfully! The weather was beautiful, the crowd was fun- and so very excited for them, and I even knew a few of the guests at this one! Although I have to admit, I have never seen some of them outside of their basketball shorts and torn t-shirts. Who knew?! These boys actually clean up very nicely! ;) Even though Sean was still in his Jordan gear- not surprising... ;) Gotta love him. I just want to say congratulations to you both. I hope your lives are filled with lots of love, laughter, and joy together. It was a complete honor to be able to share such a special day with you.

Dori & Eric were married! Redstone Inn Wedding

2008-06-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Dori & Eric are so adorable. They were married at the beautiful Redstone Inn. We've photographed quite a few weddings there now and each couple just makes it so much different and fun. The weather was amazing (and we'd had some pretty interesting weather right before and after this wedding- so we got lucky!) and the company was just as wonderful. It seems as though these two have surrounded themselves with a lot of love and support from their friends and family. I think I could have filled an entire blog with photos of all the adorable children at this wedding, but I have restrained myself! You'll have to wait for the release of the entire wedding for that one. I just couldn't choose between them. :) And anyone who knows me, knows that I am a complete sucker for a cute kid! What can I say, my mother was a school teacher and I undoubtedly got her "teacher genes" and her love of kids. :) Speaking of kids....! It doesn't seem to be a secret that Dori and Eric are expecting!! I am so excited for them! Dori called it a happy oops but everything happens for a reason. I just wanted to extend a big congratulations to the two of them as they start this adventure together and start a family. Let me know if you need baby photos!! :)

I just love finding things like this...

2008-06-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

Growing up there are certain people you just know are going to make it. You look around and say, "I'm going to see them on the big screen" or "they are going to get their album and be famous- I just know it."
Matt would be that guy. I can even tell you the moment I made that realization! Senior directed one-acts when he stood on stage and belted a verse from bohemian rhapsody. "Mama..." Uh, I get chills thinking about it even today. I am sure Matt doesn't remember me, it's been almost 10 years, but I am so happy for him. So here I am at the office, looking for a good song, a pick-me-up. So i go onto myspace and to Justin Timberlake's page. -Hey now, don't laugh, that man can sing..!- So I see on his top friends list, "Matt Morris". And I knew it. It had to be him. A little more investigating to make sure, and one photo in his profile definitely looks like him and I see the guy I recognize from drama class. :) He just got signed to Justin Timberlake's label and it looks like amazing things are coming for him. Check him out!

Maternity Session!- Crystal is VERY preggers....

2008-06-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

So many of you know my assistant, Crystal. She is our resident rockstar graphic designer and also shoots with me whenever possible. Well, you may remember that last fall, we were preparing for Crystal and Ben's wedding (I think I posted pictures from that... maybe! haha) Well, NOW we are getting ready for the arrival of their first baby! :) We had to beg and plead with Ben (because he just LOVES getting his picture taken- ahem) but we got them in for a maternity session. Now, we knew all along that Crystal was never going to make it to her due date- which is June 27th. If you've ever met her in person, you know that Crystal is super tiny and all the women in her family tend to deliver a little early. Well reality set in a little last week when she went in for a doctor's appointment and found out she's dropped and dialated! I know many women can sit at that stage for quite some time, but the doctor also told her she wouldn't be surprised to see her in at any time, so! We decided it was pretty much time to get these photos taken!Crystal has got to be the cutest pregnant women ever.... it's so disgustingly adorable... ;) She's so incredibly tiny to begin with that she is literally ALL baby. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun it has been in the office- to be here with her and watch her belly grow. After we took pictures, baby was going crazy! Watching her very full belly move and squirm with this little girl inside.... just amazing. Oh and yes, they are having a little girl.

BEBE! I can't wait! I'm so excited to finally meet her! And I'm even more excited to see Crystal and Ben become parents. (and eventually we get to have a baby in the office!!! YAY!!) :)To Ben & Crystal- Congratulations...... Darrell and I are so incredibly happy for you.

We met Elvis! Las Vegas Photos #2

2008-05-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Our last night in vegas we decided to go out on the strip and play around! We got a group of photographers and friends together and went out to take some fun night photos. Ross and Kammi are photographers from the Denver area. I met them back in October during a big get together of Colorado photographers. During that same get together I also met Kevin. Kevin also brought a photographer friend along, Nathan, who's from Estes Park and it was great to meet him as well! Well during the convention, a few of us Coloradoans got together and met for breakfast. After talking, a few of us thought it would be fun to go out and shoot together that night!

Let me tell ya, Kammi is such a rockstar- after 2 kids and 7 years she still fits into her wedding dress. I won't even go into that because I am sooo jealous. ;) We managed to get Ross into some nice clothes as well so we could take photos of the two of them together. Brynn got into her new dress from the Betty Page Store, Nikki and I grabbed our gear and we went out wandering to meet Kevin and Nathan! Yes, to answer your question, Kammi did actually climb up onto the side of the New York, New York to get this image. We figured a nice staff member of the hotel would be out in SECONDS to ask us to get down, but it wasn't the case! We were actually shooting there for quite some time! We had the biggest crowd gathered, too. I really should have turned around and taken a picture of the people watching us, but I was so worried about getting the shot before we were asked to stop! At one point, there was even someone with their video camera- filming away excitedly! So I guess we are now featured characters in someones vacation home movie!

Boy oh boy, did we get some funny looks! Actually Kammi couldn't stop laughing at all the congrats she was getting from random people passing by! She's been married for almost 7 years now- but what are you going to say to people?! "Thank you, but we didn't get married in Vegas, we just got dressed up to take photos for fun. See we're photographers and... " you get the picture. ;) So she just left it at "THANKS!" and we'd all giggle. :)
While out that evening we ran into the king! Elvis is still alive and well in Vegas! Now we all assume this, but I can actually say that all the times I've been to Vegas, I actually have not seen one Elvis impersonator! I know- that's just wrong! This guy was definitely a hoot, that's for sure. And we got him to take a couple quick shots with Brynn before he moved on. Thank ya very much..... ;)

Kammi's shoes got a little, well..... disgusting. :) This is why you should never walk around Vegas barefoot! YUCK! hahaha!
Even in the elevator going back to the room, I thought Kammi was adorable. :) I really love the little group of Colorado photographers I have grown to know. Fun times indeed.

Video from Leavin Las Vegas Shoot!

2008-05-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

Leavin' Las Vegas Shootout from Patrick Moreau on Vimeo.

So I'm not sure why, but for the longest time I wasn't able to make this work on here, but I got it! :) Awhile back I was showing some images from this shoot and one of mine made it into the video! I just wanted to share a little with everyone and show you what the day was like. Photographers everywhere, models everywhere! It was crazy, and I LOVED IT! Check it out!

Weddings images in Beautiful Colorado

2008-05-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Anthon & Julia this past week to go out and take their wedding pictures! They were married last fall, but never got any wedding photos! So we took advantage of the beautiful weather and roamed around the Crystal River Valley taking images of the two of them in their wedding attire.
We started off here at the studio where we took some very traditional posed portraits of the two of them in traditional wedding attire from Indonesia. Julia's sister and her husband joined us for some photos as well.
I have to say that it was a lot of fun just driving around in the car, chatting with them, getting to know them better and not having to worry about the stresses of a wedding day. We stopped the car and got out wherever I wanted to and even chased the light a little as it dodged in and out from behind the valley walls as we drove along the river. The drive from Carbondale to Redstone along Hwy 133 is one of my absolute favorites and neither of them had ever been that direction, so I was excited to share it all with them. They are planning to go back again soon and were both amazed at the scenery pretty much the entire way. Good thing I used to be a tour guide in this area! I know all sorts of fun random information we could talk about while driving!! :) haha--- I am so grateful to have met these two. They are such a wonderful couple and I really enjoyed our time together. And I can't wait to try some of their sushi!

Custom Birth Anouncements and Graduation Anouncements

2008-05-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Cards, cards, and more cards! We have been doing so many of these! I'm sure there are other photographers out there doing way more of this than us, but I definitely feel like I have been keeping Crystal (my graphic designer diva!) completely busy with all the announcement designs we've been doing. I wanted to post up a bunch, because they are all so different. I wish my graduation cards looked like this!

Front (4.5x5 folded)

Inside (fold down the middle)

Front (5x7 flat)

Back

Front (5x5 square- folded)

Inside (fold down the middle)

Front (4.5x5 folded)

Inside (fold down the middle)

Back

Quite a few of the high school girls we've been shooting this year are all friends from Basalt High School. We really thought it was important to make sure their cards all looked different. Front (5x7 flat)

Back

Front (4.5x5 folded- horizontal)

Inside (fold across the middle)

Back

Outside (4.5x5 accordian- far right panel is the front)

Inside (the 3 fold marks are shown with lines)

Front (5x7 flat)

Back

Front (5x7 flat)

Back

Front (5x7 flat)

Back

Front (5x7 flat- these girls are twins! :) )

Back

Front (5x7 flat)

Back

So many of our clients don't even know we offer custom cards, so I figured it was one more reason to show a few off! :) As you can tell, there are just so many things you can do with these. Start thinking about your holiday cards!

Engagement Portraits

2008-05-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I met Nicole & Mark in Grand Junction at Colorado National Monument to take some photos! Now the fun part of the story, is that I got lost trying to get there... (I hate google maps some days) and Nicole forgot her phone at home trying to rush out to meet me! So here I was desperately trying to find my way around and get a hold of them to let them know I was lost, and Nicole was just beside herself because she knew I was probably trying to get in touch with her! Oh what a mess- I told my husband I need a navigation system in my car! haha! But, once we got ourselves connected, it worked out perfectly. The sun came out, the light was great (actually much nicer than it was the hour before) and we had a great time hiking around and taking pictures. We went to some amazing places so I had to make sure to take a couple of images like the one below to show where we were standing. Do you see the tiny Nicole & Mark in this shot? :) Isn't the monument amazing? I could shoot here all the time. Everywhere I looked there was something new and exciting to use as a backdrop.These guys are just so much fun! It was easy to keep all of us laughing and smiling and these two are just so in love. I can't wait for their wedding this June! Thanks so much to both of you for coming out to play with me Saturday and I can't wait to show you the rest of the images!

Congratulations Kim & Nolan!

2008-04-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

So this past Saturday was our official kick off for the 2008 spring/summer wedding season. Kim and Nolan were married at Beaver Creek Chapel and held their reception at the Donovan Pavilion in Vail. These two locations are beautiful! It was the first time I have shot a wedding at either and I just love them! Kim's mom was a little worried about the weather, but it turned out to be a beautiful spring day. I don't think we could have asked for much more considering the weather report was calling for snow! But, seriously, what a fun group! Everyone attending the wedding seemed so close, and considering these two have actually know each other since childhood, I can see why it seemed like one big family instead of two. :) The day was filled with laughter, a few tears, and some good 'ole fashioned cake squishing...! Kim and Nolan, I just want to say thank you for asking me to document your special day. Darrell and I both had a wonderful time (even though I know he's too quiet to show it) and we want to wish you all the happiness and love this life can bring you. Congratulations.... YAY! :)

Photographers in Denver..!

2008-04-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

So I'm lucky enough to be a part of a great group of photographers who are from all around the state. Last fall we got together and did a trash the dress shoot with my assistant Crystal (which I actually don't think I ever posted images from... hmmm!) and a few other friends as models. From this little get together, quite a few people began to form great friendships and the Mile High Photographers came to be!

Now the group holds monthly meetings on the front range and I have only been able to attend one meeting so far. It's a little too far to just take off and go for just the meeting, but I'll make sure to see if there's any way to work it in with other things each month. :)

We decided it was finally warm enough to do another "trash the dress" session and get the whole group together for a shoot again! So Andrew was nice enough to set up the location and coordinate again (and this was not one I was going to miss!) :) Luckily, the date worked out perfectly! Sunday evening we all met downtown and split into groups all around the new Denver Art Museum and got to play!

Every time I get together with this group I am energized and so excited to be surrounded by so many talented and wonderful people from my industry. I think it's so important for us to be able to share are successes and failures with one another so that we can all benefit eachother and the industry as a whole. Here are a few of the images I grabbed and edited from the session Sunday. Maybe I'll go back and dig out a few of the images from the last get together as well and share those soon! :)

This is what happens...

2008-04-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

when you go to Vegas with a bunch of photographers...... maybe I should stop making such silly faces at people! wow... ;)

(these wonderful photos popped up on some forums and blogs, top 2 were taken by erwin wijanto and the black and white is by the lovely anne ruthmann! Definitely check out their work, they are both very very talented!)

Images from Vegas... 1 of ?

2008-03-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back and slowly recovering. One whole week in Vegas is almost too much...! I met a lot of wonderful photographers and learned a ton (as usual). I jammed in classes, presentations, breakfast with other Colorado photographers, giveaway parties, some dancing with the girls (ok, a lot of dancing with the girls), the trade show, and some amazing photo shoots. The very last day, Thursday, my good friend Brynn and I went to a shoot with 40 other photographers and some great industry leaders to Red Rock Canyon. With great models- Brynn included!- we spent the entire day playing around, shooting and learning. I wanted to show a few of my favorite shots off on here. There are just so many- but as you can tell, I particularly love the shots of Lisa in her black dress. With the wind blowing and her veil going all directions- it was almost surreal. Brynn would be the hottie with the amazing red hair! There are a ton more images, and hopefully I'll post some more later. I also have fun shots of the 4 of us girls playing in Vegas, and other stories I'd like to share, too. But for right now, I need to get caught up! It is so hard leaving my business! Thankfully Crystal has been holding down the fort. Thanks so much to everyone for all your patience as I get back in the normal swing of things. Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Trip to Montana!

2008-03-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

So I didn't get a chance to tell anyone about this trip! Just a month before I was set to leave for Vegas I found extremely low airfare to Montana! My best friend lives in Livingston outside of Bozeman, so I have a permanent farewatcher on travelocity to notify me when I might be able to get a cheap ticket out to see her! The deal was too good to pass up. Brooke and I went to photography school together here in Glenwood and she owns her own studio in MT. She just moved into a new downtown retail location that I have been dying to see. AND I got a major guilt trip about how Olivia, her daughter, was growing up so fast at 2.5 yrs old- that if I didn't come, I'd be missing out on seeing this awesome time in her life.
*Sigh* Oh so guilty!! It worked! Brooke convinced me to buy the ticket for the last minute flight and I jumped on a plane to Montana! We had a great time. I got to visit with Olivia, who is just the cutest thing on the planet- and she's beginning to realize it. ;) And Brooke and I bounced business ideas off one another and shopped for new accessories for both our studios! (yes I carted all sorts of things back in my suitcase to Colorado!) So it was strange that I got to see Brooke again less than a month later in Las Vegas, but I wouldn't have been able to see Olivia or her new studio space, so it was definitely good that I went. Here's a few shows from my little point and shoot. I actually didn't get out my "real" camera the entire time I was there! Ok, I did get to shoot a wedding with Brooke while I was there. The two of us have never shot together for a job before, so that was a lot of fun. ANYWAY! These are just snap shots from my little Casio point and shoot.

Olivia asked me to come over and sit and watch a movie with her on her big bear. So of course Brooke managed to make sure she got a photo of the two of us. As we were taking these, Olivia said, "Mommy, take a picture of my friend Erin!" awww...! My heart completely melted. We also went to Chico Hot Springs while I was there. It's funny, I think I have been to that place 3 or 4 times since I have been to the one here in my own town! I guess those are just the kinds of things you do when you travel! It doesn't hurt either that I think it costs $3 to swim at Chico and it's well.... a lot more here. ;) The water is not natural hot spring water either, just spring water, and it's heated and placed into the pool. So no chlorine or stinky egg smell- which is just so nice. Isn't this little one just a ham? Oh! I miss them already...Aren't we cute? haha- Brandon took a few shots of us as we walked down the street by her studio. It just completely cracks me up.

Viva Las Vegas! WooHoo!

2008-03-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

So I've begun packing my bags! This Friday my good friend Brynn & I will be shuffling off to Las Vegas for the largest photography trade show and convention in the country. WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) is a great organization for professionals and they put on quite the show. Over 10,000 photographers will be in Vegas this next week. We'll be checking out new products, buying new equipment, and taking classes on all the latest and greatest techniques in the biz. This is one of the way I try to stay up to date and fresh for all of my customers, and I can't wait! (and if it's warm enough- a morning by the pool wouldn't hurt either) Hopefully I'll be posting stories and photos along the way. I'll also be announcing new products and fun new options that we'll learn about at the show, so I'm excited to share that with everyone.That means I'll be out of the office from the 14th-21st. I know it's a long time, but I promise it's for a good cause. Crystal will be in mon/weds/fri for a few hours each day to try and help keep up with phone messages and I'll be working on e-mails from Vegas, but please try to bare with us. It will be a very hectic week and it may take us a little bit to get back to you. I hope everyone has a great week!!

Another High School Senior- Megan

2008-03-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely I will get the senior photos that I took this year put up on the blog. hahaha! Megan just ordered some prints and I thought while I was working in them I would share a few! Megan was great because she was willing to climb anywhere in her nice shoes and dress for me, which just takes a lot of trust! We went up by the fish hatchery and went tromping off through a field for some of these shots. Thanks for being so adventurous with me, Megan! With it being winter, I've forgotten how much I miss the sun! I can't wait for spring...

Love is in the air... even though the air is still chilly

2008-03-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Mike & Kristi came in yesterday for their engagement photos and we had a ton of fun running around in the cold. I wish that we had kept that 60 degree weather we had a few days ago, but no such luck. Even though it was chilly, these guys were really good sports. We played around downtown and tried to not think about the fact that Kristi's toes were completely numb. :) I can't wait to shoot their wedding this summer! I mean heck, you can't go wrong with a couple of gorgeous, fun people like them! I hope you guys had fun!

Senior Graduation Announcements

2008-02-29T15:48:00.000-08:00

We actually do a ton of these, but I have never blogged them! I was thinking today that I really should do that! This week, Crystal (my graphic designer and very pregnant assistant) ;) has been hauling out a ton of card designs. It's been fun because they really are completely different from one another. So I thought that would be something fun to share. Here is one we ordered today and it has quickly become our favorite! It's been ordered on pearl paper and I just can't wait to see it in person! What do you think? I'll try to remember to put up another card tomorrow.

More Baby Photography!

2008-02-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I was in Denver and went to visit friends and their new born baby. Of course we took pictures!! Crystal and I are working on their birth announcement right now and are hoping to finish it up tomorrow, so I'll have to post it when we're done. I just had to show off this image though cause it is just too much fun! He's just so adorable. We do have images of him awake too, but I was just working on these, so they are what you get to see right now. ;) I think this may be my favorite shot of tiny baby feet so far.
See, all these adorable babies is how I keep wanting to have one of my own out of my system! :) Now don't get me wrong, Darrell and I DO plan on having kids, but we have plenty of time. And by shooting lots of photos of babies I get all my little baby-itch-i-ness out. haha

Adorable Blue Eyed Baby...

2008-02-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

So this adorable blue eyed babe was in the studio last month and she was just so much fun. She is doing our Babies First Year package, so I am extremely excited to see this little one grow and change.

I met her mom at our CCC fundraiser right before Christmas when she was brand new and coming in with her two older brothers. I can't wait to see her again when she's sitting up on her own. She is already full of all sorts of personality, so I can't imagine how animated and fun she will be next time!Well so much for posting early and often! =S I'm still not in a good habit with my blog. I'll try to get better I promise!

A Beautiful Winter Wedding in Colorado

2008-01-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Morgan & Geoff and their families. These guys are just an adorable couple and I feel extremely privileged to have shared their day with them. We were a little worried about the weather and it getting too dark, but honestly, I love the way the photos turned out. Dodging snowflakes and diving into the deep snow for just the right angle, did present its' challenges, but I had a ton of fun. I just downloaded all the flash cards and I wanted to post a few up as a little preview.
Congratulations to you both!! Thank you again for asking me to capture your intimate little event. It was an absolute pleasure. :)

Ashleigh & Shaun- Engagement Portraits

2008-01-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to another photographer on OSP I was referred to Ashleigh and Shaun.(OSP is a photography forum that I am completely addicted to and Kay Beaton- is the one who sent them my direction. Thanks again Kay!) These two are getting married the weekend after Ian & Amy (see my last post) in Silverthorne. Upon meeting these two I decided that not only are they a beautiful couple, they are completely hysterical and fun. We also took their images at Bear Creek Lake Park near Denver. (This was actually a spot that Ashleigh picked out and I thought it had SO many options that I decided to take Ian and Amy back the next day) :) I'm so excited to be shooting their wedding next June and to get to meet their family and friends. Heck, if they are half as fun as these two are, it's going to be a really fun and joyous event. (and of course, they will be, I'm sure of it) ;)

Engagement Portraits- Ian & Amy

2008-01-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be posting these images. It is about time these two get married! ;) Well see, I can say that cause I've known these guys for a long time. Amy and I worked at Glenwood Caverns together when I first moved to the area and were friends at work. Ian and I met my second year at CMC and became FAST friends. We ended up getting an apartment together with another friend the next year! Then I had a work event to go to and I wanted some support. The caverns had applied to have a tram put in up to the caverns and I was planning to speak in front of the city council and what ended up being a room of several hundred people! I had to drag Ian to go with me (I always remind him how badly he didn't want to go) ;) and we sat down next to Amy and that is when these two met.I am so excited that they are getting married. I am so unbelievably happy for them! We took their engagement portraits in Denver at Bear Creek Lake Park and I think we laughed waaayy too much. I miss these guys, I wish they were closer than Boulder! But we had a great time and we have vowed to try and get together more often.My last posted actually shows the Eureka Lodge, where they are getting married! Yup! This is them! I can't wait for their wedding and again... Congrats you two.

Ahh... 2008... Where did you come from?!

2008-01-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

Well amazingly enough, we find ourselves once again in another new year. I can't believe it is already 2008... where has the time gone?! After a crazy and quick Christmas in Denver with my family, Darrell and I only had a couple days back in Glenwood before we were off again. Good friends of ours own a lodge outside of Silverton, CO. They have been trying for years now to get us out there with them, and it seems like we can never seem to coordinate dates. Every year they have a little New Year's Eve bash there and last year I was determined to make it out. Well... my appendix burst at the beginning of December... so that didn't work! But this year we made it!!!

This place is just amazing.....! The Eureka Lodge is an old miner's lodge built in the 1920's and is one of the best examples of an early 1900's miners boarding hotel in the west. We had to park probably 1/2 a mile or so from the lodge and ride snowmobiles in. Talk about the perfect retreat. I can't believe it took us so long to get here!!!

Along with our long time friends, we shared the hotel with their family, friends and other Glenwood locals- some we knew, and some we got to know. We spent our days playing pool, snowmobiling (or getting the snowmobiles stuck- whatever), building puzzles, and eating great food. Eat, drink, and be merry right? :) With a bonfire in -10 degree weather, and the stars shinning brilliantly above our heads, we rang in the New Year. It was just the break we needed and honestly, I was sad to leave. With no phones, limited internet (just enough to know the roads were open to get home) amazing views, and a warm fire... I could have stayed MUCH longer. ;)

This is actually a mine on the property. A fresh water spring provides the water for the lodge, but the dripping ceiling and cold temperatures create these amazing stalagmites in the entrance. It was an absolute fairy land! And of course the caver in me was SUPER excited about these! :)

Thanks so much to Ian and Amy for finally getting us up there, and also to Amy's parents for sharing their second "home" with us. We will definitely be back. Well I mean, of course we will be back, we have a wedding to shoot! (I almost forgot to mention that Ian & Amy are getting married at the lodge next June. Can you even imagine the photos we will get!?! I am SO excited, I can't wait!)

Christmas Traditions

2007-12-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts about Christmas, is the tree. The tree has always been something big in our family, and I didn't even realize it until I was a little older. It all begins as we go searching for a specific type of tree- only a certain type of fir will be open enough to do what we need it to do. When trimming the tree for the stand, dad used to cut of a section of the trunk and bring it to me for my room because I just loved the smell. Then dad starts on the lights. My dad is the only one qualified to put the lights on. They are an older type of light that splits and goes around the branch so the light bulb can stand up straight, and it is definitely an art form. Mom unpacks the ornament boxes and begins to lay out the ornaments on the card table as the myriad of Christmas music plays on the stereo... and this is how it goes!

Now I'm sure some of this may be just like what everyone else does, but the ornaments themselves have so much meaning. That is the part I love so much. I'm not sure when exactly it became such a tradition, but we have started to really collect ornaments for one another. Many times, it is the first thing we exchange with each other and every year, we begin to doubt if there is room for even one more ornament on our very full trees.

This was purchased in Alaska by my parents. Trips out usually influence the ornament giving the following Christmas. :) This year our family all got ornaments from our trip to Hawaii this fall.

Years ago my mom started writing in a small spiral note pad. At the top of each page is a year and below is the list of all the ornaments that we received. Each little listing gave a short description and who the ornament was to and from. The book gave us a much better memory as I know anyone would have a hard time remembering where all these ornaments came from. Every year we would pull out the book and settle some disagreement between my brother and I about who's ornament was who's. :)
This year I took some pictures of a few of the many fun ornaments we place on the family tree. Now my brother and I have of course taken all our own personal ornaments to our own families and homes- so the collection is slightly spread out, but our own tress have begun to overflow with our own unique items from all over the world. And of course as we separated out our collection from our parents, my mom made us each our own mini notebooks with all our past information on all of our own ornaments. Our friends and other family all know that we collect these and love to send us many fun things, and last year I gave my best friend her own notebook and several new ornaments for her daughter's first Christmas.

This glass columbine has always been one of my favorites. It was purchased in Georgetown, which just happened to end up being where my husband and I got married. And with the columbine being Colorado's state flower it's pretty fitting- not to mention that it is just so delicate and beautiful.

Tradition is important and our tree is always a walk down memory lane for my family and I. What are some of the things that make your holiday special?

This is a flower that was hand painted by my grandmother.

These doves decorated the church for my parents wedding, now 40 years ago. These 12 little birds are one of the very last things to go on the tree and perch at the end of the branches.

Now not every ornament holds special meaning, and some are just downright goofy, but I love our very full, very unique tree.... I just love it...

Merry Christmas!! Wii are completely hooked!

2007-12-27T17:41:00.000-08:00

So I have a few holiday stories to post, but one of the activities I enjoyed the most with my family this Christmas was playing the Nintendo Wii! (that seems so sad but it's true!)

Now I have to tell you that seeing my mom and dad (both in their 60's) playing the Wii along with myself and my husband, my brother, my nephew, my cousins... was great!! We are the board game playing, puzzle pondering, trivial pursuit kind of family at the holidays, but this was a whole new ordeal. :)

So I want a Wii now..... *sigh* I never thought I'd long for a game system, I have never been a video game player! (I am just not that coordinated!!) But, I want this one, so officially add it to my birthday wish list. Dang, that means I have to wait 'til summer?! Oh and by the way... I was completely sore the next morning! HA! But I did beat my husband a couple times in boxing and tennis, so it was all worth it. :)

So here are a couple snapshots of my family. I thought it might be fun to share what we did for our Christmas. Now, I'm warning you- we are all a little goofy... or a lot goofy, but these are pretty tame... ;)

My Husband- being a dork, as usual ;) Good thing I love him to pieces!...

Myself and my cousin Eric- I'm shocked, can't you tell?

Eric and Emily- they met over the net and he went all the way to Florida to meet her! :) They've been living down in Argentina and working for her father's architectural glass company. It was so great to meet her and to see Eric. Hopefully they will get a chance to come visit us in Glenwood before they leave!

My mom, my uncle's mom Margret, and my Aunt Mary- unwrapping presents.

My Dad- he's working on a puzzle that he wanted to take a hacksaw to! haha! It seemed simple enough, but that was definitely not the case. I stayed away from this one.

My cousin Matt and I- Matt is going to grad school in Ohio. I miss him! It was so nice to see him and we figured out it has been WAY too long since we got together. (he and Eric are twins by the way) They used to be my "little cousins" and began towering over me before they were even in High School... punks.... ;)
My brother Danny, his new wife Laura and my nephew Craig- you'd never guess in a million years that Craig is not my brother's son by blood, I mean look at them! It seriously cracks me up when I see a picture like this.

AJ Waski- Senior Portrait

2007-12-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

AJ and I had a great time taking pictures all over downtown Glenwood Springs. Honestly, AJ was doing so well I had a hard time stopping! We took sooo many shots, he may have ended up getting one of the largest Senior proof books I have done all year! It took me forever to go through all the images and narrow them down! I wanna say Thank you to AJ for being so into running around all over with me for an afternoon. I hope you had fun, because I know I did. Sometime we will have to go out and do all those fun night shots we were talking about!

Tess' Slide Show- Trash the dress style!

2007-12-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

Tess was SUCH a trooper. When she came in for her consultation I showed her images of the new trend in wedding and senior photography, which has been coined as "trash the dress". Now don't worry too much, ladies and moms, it's not as bad as you might imagine. The idea of this isn't so much as to ruin a perfectly good prom or wedding gown, but to not be so concerned with getting dirty. Bridal portraits for many years were something extremely formal that a bride would do before her wedding day. Great care was taken to be extremely careful with the dress so that the bride was still in perfect condition when walking down the aisle. Well times have changed! Tradition has gotten away from the formal studio bridal portrait. Today's women aren't so afraid to get dirty and have fun. That's what trash the dress is all about. It has become a session that takes place after the wedding day. Brides are shooting fashion style images in unique settings and showing off their radiance in many ways. You've spent all this money for this gown that you look AMAZING in, why not make the most of it?!?! Lets run in a field with the wind blowing through your veil! Lets lay in the lush green grass along side a creek and dip our toes in the water. The images are much more personal and without the pressure of keeping a dress pristine, you have the room to be comfortable and have fun.

Now this trend has found it's way into the High School Senior Portrait market as well. Girls are using the same thoughts and going out in old prom gowns their sister wore, finding funky colors on clearance racks and buying a dress cheap on ebay just for the purpose of playing and getting dressed up for pictures.

There are a couple of websites promoting this new trend and showcasing photographer's work. Trashthedress.com and drownthegown.com are the bridal and senior websites where photographers are submitting their work. After showing these sites to Tess, she was really excited!

That day, the weather turned on us and shortly into her session it began to hail and rain. Tess' nicely straightened hair was much more messy that she wanted for her formal senior shots and we decided that who cared if it was raining for the fun dress images! so not only did we run around and play in the dirt, she got in the creek! The freezing cold Colorado mountain creek!! She is absolutely my hero!!! We laughed a ton and had a great time tromping around Sunlight Ski Area in the fall colors. A couple weeks later, we got together again and did the rest of her formal shots. Below is her slide show, and you may have noticed my favorite shot from her session is below. Let me know what you think!

Portraits in Hawaii - The Ohana Family

2007-12-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

Oh, Hawaii, how I miss you so! I haven't had a chance to talk about our wonderful trip to Hawaii at the beginning of October. My husband and I went down for an event with friends who recently moved back to the island (more on that later, because there are more pictures to come.) Not only did we get a little mini vacation, but we also got to shoot a family portrait session on a complete whim. Okay, let me explain. I am completely obsessed with an online photography forum called Open Source Photo. A couple of weeks before our trip, another photographer mentioned that she had a friend looking for a photographer in Hawaii, during the exact dates of our trip. Leave it to me to offer to work during our vacation, but what could be more fun than working and shooting a family in a place as beautiful in Hawaii?! There are lots of talented photographers that frequent this forum, and I figured that at least a few of them were actually from Hawaii. So, I thought that my chances were slim, but I figured that I would throw my name in the hat as well. Next thing I know, I get a call from the Ohana's, and we set it all up to meet on our first full day on the island. Not only were we in a beautiful place, but what an adorable family! The girls were a complete riot, and both had completely different personalities. We couldn't keep the oldest out of the water (as you can tell), while the baby didn't want anything to do with the water or the sand. We photographed at the Temple in Laie, and proceeded to a nearby beach that Darrell and I had scoped out earlier in the afternoon. The light was just perfect, and shooting on the beach presented a whole new set of fun challenges. Darrell had to watch my back to make sure that I didn't get taken out by a wave, or, in the least, drench my camera! Well, I'm not used to watching out for waves :) We had a really wonderful time getting to know these guys, and I have to say thank you to Shannon Hodson of Lucky Red Hen for setting me up with this opportunity. Shannon really has some amazing work, and I took it as a huge compliment that she would recommend me. So again, thank you! Of course, I'm posting a few pictures, and you can CLICK HERE for a slideshow.
P.S. Watch out everyone, I think we have our next star photographer in the works! Isn't this adorable?!

Lindsey Hofmann- Fun Fall Portraits

2007-11-27T00:17:00.000-08:00

Lindsey timed her appointment just right! The fall colors at the time we took her pictures were just amazing. We went to Grizzly Creek to the rest stop and wandering around awhile and had a good time. I definitely made Lindsey laugh, which I don't think is too hard considering I'm kinda a goof ball... at least I'm good for something right?!? ;) These are a few of my favorites from her session. I can't wait to hear what she thinks!

Senior Portraits!

2007-11-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

I've been shooting quite a few High School Senior portraits over the past couple of months. I actually think seniors may be my favorite. They seem to be the most laid back, spontaneous sessions that I do. Most of the time we're not even sure where we're going to go until we're in the car! I've had some awsome sessions so far and I'm sure we'll do many more as we get into the winter and spring. As I edit, I'll be posting them up.

That's it, I'm starting anew!

2007-11-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

So I have felt so badly about keeping up with my blog. Every time I shoot a new event or session, I think about posting, but feel badly becuase I haven't posted something previous to them. Well I think that is stopping today. Even though it is not quite the new year, it's a good resolution, and I still feel very badly about the posts of things I have missed, but I feel like I have to start somewhere or I'll never catch up!

For those of you still looking for images from weddings and those kinds of things, don't worry. I will still be posting up material from this fall and the past few months and sharing stories. I'm just not going to fake that somehow you won't notice that it's all the wrong dates and try to keep it in order!
So with that! I wanted to talk about the past week! This studio has seen so many smiling faces last week! I was contacted by Kim, a memeber of Christ Community Church, about helping out with a fundraiser for their children's ministry. Well every 15 minutes we had a new family in the door to shoot their mini sessions and wow, what a fun 2 days we had! It gave me great motivation to get the studio clean and ready for the holidays and so suddenly I am in the mood for Christmas!

Crystal and I will be sorting through all the sessions and orders over the next week and I'm excited to actually see all the pictures! Each group got to sit immediately with Crystal and see their images and I haven't hardly seen ANY of them yet! (I kept peeking over Crystal's shoulder to get a glimpse of how they were turning out.) It was so wonderful to meet everyone and I hope that all the kids and families had a wonderful time. Here's a few images I grabbed from the shoot. I should have turned around and taken pictures of all the people that were here! :)We had a lot of goofy faces, laughter and cute moments in those quick little sessions! It was really great and I hope we can do something like it again.

Christmas Deadline

2007-11-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let everyone know that we have set our deadline for Christmas orders. To guarantee prints for Christmas, all orders need to be placed to me by Sunday, December 9th. So! If you have anything from your session this year to give as gifts, let me know! If you'd like a print as a gift for Grandma, maybe a photo ornament to commemorate your Baby's First Christmas, or maybe custom holiday cards, then let me know as soon as possible so I can make sure to get it to you on time. Man, it will be the New Year before we know it!

Less Art... More Soul

New Blog!

Renee & Ryan- Brookside Gardens Wedding July 9th

Liz & Dave- Engagement Photos in a Vineyard

Heather & Ken- Boettcher Mansion- July 3rd Wedding

Jesse & Leslie- June 5, 2010- Orcas Island, WA

Sara & Aaron- Shove Chapel & Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

Kristie & Bob- Snowy Wedding in Evergreen, Colorado

John & Jen- Vail, CO Wedding- Sonnenalp Resort

Jen & Jeremy- Private Colorado Ranch Wedding

Lisa & Tony- Denver Bontanic Gardens & Wellshire Inn Wedding

Kristin & Bill's Wedding- Mt Vernon Country Club, Colorado

Jane & Scott - Eureka Lodge, Silverton, CO Wedding

Senior Rockstar Tour *** IMAGES!***

Kristi & Hugh got married in Aspen!

Rachel & Jene's Wedding- River Valley Ranch

Krisit & Hugh- Couples session in Aspen

Trash the Dress- Mile High Photographers Havin' Fun!

Senior Rockstar Tour *** LIVE! ***

Sweet Little Baby Kelsen... 5 Days old

Jessica & Bernie are married! Beautiful Cancun, Mexico

An unexpected first wedding...

Introducing Daniel Edward Wray V, my nephew :)

I've got a little catching up to do...

Studio Open House!

Senior Photos- Reid

Lisa & Jeff were married!- Redstone Inn

Senior Pictures of Sara

A Wedding in Rifle- Jessica & Kirk

Mark & Nicole got married!

Better late than never.... right?! no? darn...

Ashleigh & Shaun are married! Silverthone Pavilion Wedding

i LOVE this!

Help us win!- Photos entered in a contest

Ian & Amy's Wedding in Silverton, CO

Emelia Rose Sutherland is born

Sharon & Lucas- 2nd shooting is fun!

Jessica & Bernie- Engagement Photos

Today is Our 5th Anniversary... :)

Another Weekend Wedding In Redstone, CO- Mike & Kristi

Dori & Eric were married! Redstone Inn Wedding

I just love finding things like this...

Maternity Session!- Crystal is VERY preggers....

We met Elvis! Las Vegas Photos #2

Video from Leavin Las Vegas Shoot!

Weddings images in Beautiful Colorado

Custom Birth Anouncements and Graduation Anouncements

Engagement Portraits

Congratulations Kim & Nolan!

Photographers in Denver..!

This is what happens...

Images from Vegas... 1 of ?

Trip to Montana!

Viva Las Vegas! WooHoo!

Another High School Senior- Megan

Love is in the air... even though the air is still chilly

Senior Graduation Announcements

More Baby Photography!

Adorable Blue Eyed Baby...

A Beautiful Winter Wedding in Colorado

Ashleigh & Shaun- Engagement Portraits

Engagement Portraits- Ian & Amy

Ahh... 2008... Where did you come from?!

Christmas Traditions

Merry Christmas!! Wii are completely hooked!

AJ Waski- Senior Portrait

Tess' Slide Show- Trash the dress style!

Portraits in Hawaii - The Ohana Family

Lindsey Hofmann- Fun Fall Portraits

Senior Portraits!

That's it, I'm starting anew!

Christmas Deadline

Senior Rockstar Tour * IMAGES!*

Senior Rockstar Tour * LIVE! *